AAU deletes the last remaining daily connection between Linz and Vienna

AAU deletes the last remaining daily connection between Linz and Vienna

LINZ. The Linz airport must be connected to other hubs in addition to Frankfurt

The flight AUA Linz-Vienna is closed on October 28, beginning of the winter schedule. Bild: Reuters

Unfavorable for the industrialized exporting country Upper Austria: Austrian Airlines (AUA) will be serving for the last time on 27 October the only remaining air link between Linz and Vienna. The airline has maintained ultra-short haul between the two airports for only decades with losses. As the German mother asks Lufthansa of the AAU to become more profitable, she is finished.

"This decision is not unexpected, but it was not clear that the air link was already finished this year," says Landesfinanzdirektorin Christiane Frauscher. She is chairman of the board of directors and representative of the Land of Upper Austria at Linz airport GesmbH

The importance of the Linz-Vienna link with the attractive rail link to the airport. Vienna airport has decreased. There are 16 trains per day to Vienna-Schwechat Airport – pbadenger traffic on this route is increasing at a double-digit rate. As a result, the AUA was able to increase its flight schedule until only the scheduled weekly flight was left with a flight at 5:50 am from Linz and a optional return from Vienna at 23h. And that was used on average by about 30 pbadengers per flight.

The planned removal of the last Linz-Vienna connection described Linz Mayor Klaus Luger as "attack on the domestic economy". This shows once again how fatal it is to privatize important infrastructure such as the former Austrian airline AAU. Now it is decided the center of Frankfurt Lufthansa, which must happen in Austria. Luger sees the infrastructure minister Norbert Hofer claimed. The AUA, as in the case of Laudamotion (formerly Niki), advocates an "Austrian solution" in the interest of the economy.

The President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce Doris Hummer expressed her opinion that the AUA had decided to Linz and Vienna to the cap, not surprised. "However, the Lufthansa group could cut itself in its own flesh," says Hummer. For one aspect was not considered, or it was deliberately accepted: "Who must use alternative routes, can choose cheap airlines and therefore as a completely lost customer."

For the director of the airport Norbert Draskovits is now For the business travel market of Upper Austria, further connections to the hubs can be found next to Frankfurt. "We have already considered this scenario in our airport strategy for 2030," says Frauscher.

Depends on the monopolist

Because the dependence of the Frankfurt hub – and therefore the Lufthansa group – is a sore point. "AAU is our most important customer, but we have to break Lufthansa's dominance and come up with alternatives." There are discussions with several airlines. "Economically strong Upper Austria is an attractive market for business travel and we want to convince the airlines."

L & # 39; O. Industriellenvereinigung is looking forward to flying to other hubs. Managing Director Joachim Haindl-Grutsch finds great potential for cooperation with KLM / Air France airlines. The interesting hubs could be Amsterdam, Zurich and Zrich.

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